Concert Reviews
Lollapalooza 2022: j-hope Kicks Off a New Era for BTS: Recap, Photos + Setlist
“I’m j-hope from BTS,” he told the Lollapalooza crowd, doing nothing more than introducing himself and nothing less than making history. BTS are perhaps the most overwhelming musical force the world has ever known, having conquered the globe with an ARMY bigger than Beatlemania. The septet became such an institution that when they announced a “hiatus,” to pursue solo projects, the resulting panic cost their management label HYBE $1.7 billion in market cap in just two days. “We are not disbanding,” the group clarified. j-hope said it in a different way under the banner of Chicago’s skyline in Grant Park Sunday night: “I’m j-hope from BTS.” Advertisement Related Video He’s a lot more than that. With this appearance at Lollapalooza 2022, j-hope became not just the first of...
Arcade Fire Kick Off Tour with Heart and Soul at Montreal’s Osheaga Festival: Review
Arcade Fire pick and choose their moments very carefully. It’s fitting that the Montreal band decided to release their first album in five years, the ambitious and heartfelt WE, in a pandemic-affected universe, urging us to relish in the fact that we are still, in fact, alive. It’s even more fitting that Arcade Fire began their extensive WE tour in Montreal, the band’s birthplace, at Osheaga Festival, which is celebrating its first year back since 2019. However, Arcade Fire’s appearance at Osheaga on Friday night (July 29th) was a stroke of good and bad luck: originally scheduled to headline were Foo Fighters, who cancelled all their tour dates after the untimely death of drummer Taylor Hawkins. But nabbing Arcade Fire as a replacement headliner is an excellent booking, and their pres...
Red Hot Chili Peppers Make It Look Easy at US Tour Kickoff in Denver: Review
Not many high school bands last 39 years. Even fewer make the transition from punk underground to venerated rock establishment, while continuing to jump around like teenagers with functional and highly lubricated knee joints just a few months shy of 60 years old. But Red Hot Chili Peppers are still doing it, and they’re making it look easy. They are the Rolling Stones of Generation X. And they are very much here to stay. Gather ‘round, children; way back in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, there was a burgeoning new genre of popular music called “Alternative.” Red Hot Chili Peppers, which formed in 1983 in Los Angeles with Anthony Kiedis on vocals, Flea (Michael Bazary) on bass, Hillel Slovak on guitar, and Jack Irons on drums, was one of the first American bands to really dominate the genre, pavi...
Kendrick Lamar Big Steps Into “King of Rap” Role In Dallas: Review and Setlist
“Is Dallas in this shit tonight?” Kendrick Lamar asked a roaring crowd before performing “Purple Hearts” from his new album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. “You know it’s been five years since I seen ya’ll, right? So I maybe a little bit rusty on this stage. I may need a little help. I think I need ya’ll to help me sing this … Let’s get it.” The last time Kendrick Lamar performed in Dallas was July 14th, 2017, when he brought the “DAMN. Tour” to the American Airlines Center. Then, he was one of hip hop’s biggest attractions with the highest-selling album of the year, on the verge of becoming the first-ever rapper to be awarded the prestigious Pulitizer Prize the following year, and arguably the new King of Rap. Exactly five years later, Lamar brought “The Big Steppers Tour” (get tickets...
5 Reasons to See Rage Against The Machine Live This Summer
Back in 2020, the timing for a Rage Against The Machine reunion couldn’t have been more appropriate: after nine years away and ahead of a symbolic and high-stakes election, the Los Angeles quartet decided it was time to be back in front of the people once again to serve politically-charged catharsis en masse. But of course, the pandemic offset Rage’s tour plans by not one, but two years, and even compared to 2020, the world is quite different than it once was. Luckily, attendees at Rage Against The Machine’s tour stop at Festival d’été de Québec in Québec City didn’t let the 11-year absence hinder an amazing time on Saturday evening (July 16th). The festival itself is a true experience — rather than erect a typical three or four-day festival on one large plot of land within the city, Festi...
Alanis Morissette (Finally) Celebrates 25 Years of Jagged Little Pill in Montreal: Review, Video, and Setlist
Like so many other highly anticipated world tours, Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette had to wait an extra two years to finally mark 25 Years of Jagged Little Pill — or if we’re being pedantic, 27 years. After kicking things off in Europe, the Ottawa native began the North American leg of the tour in her hometown on July 10th before performing at Montreal’s Bell Centre two days later. (Get tickets to the rest of her upcoming dates here!) Although the night started with harmonica blazing to album opener “All I Really Want,” the rest of the evening in Montreal didn’t flow exactly as the Jagged Little Pill recording. The 48-year-old, with the same athletic stage-hopping zeal from her youth, played the entire album mostly out of order, with a few other hits such as “Uninvited” and “T...
Circle Jerks Celebrate Group Sex and Wild in the Streets in New York City: Recap, Photos + Video
The legendary Circle Jerks finally made their way to New York City on Thursday night (July 7th) for a two-night stand at Irving Plaza following a number of pandemic-related postponements. The pioneering hardcore-punk band more than made up for the delay, delivering a 33-song set while headlining a bill that featured fellow veteran acts 7Seconds and Negative Approach. Originally, Circle Jerks had planned to hit the road in 2020 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their iconic debut album, Group Sex. After playing a smattering of shows in 2021, the band kicked off a proper North American run in February, only to have it curtailed when frontman Keith Morris contracted COVID, forcing the postponement of the remainder of the tour, including the NYC dates. In addition to founding Circle Jerks, ...
Metallica Take Over Napa Valley with BottleRock Set and Late-Night Covers Show: Recap, Photos + Video
Napa, California’s BottleRock Festival finally returned after a two-year absence this weekend, and with Metallica headlining day one on Friday (May 27th), it got off to head-banging start. As they usually do, the legendary metal band made the show an event for their fans, making sure that they would have maximum Metallica intake. One of the bands that performed prior to Metallica’s headlining set was Bastardane, a hard-rock trio that includes James Hefield’s son Castor on drums. Although the band has a thrash metal influence, they have their own unique sound that seemed to get a seal of approval from the Metallica fans watching the show. Also approving was James himself, who could be seen behind the wings of the stage watching and nodding along, but soon he would be on a much bigger stage....
Kraftwerk Kick Off North American “3D Tour” with Mesmerizing Concert in St. Louis: Review
The sheer diversity of the concertgoers who descended upon Kraftwerk’s tour kickoff at The Pageant in St. Louis is a testament to the genre-spanning influence of the German electronic music pioneers. Punks, goths, metalheads, record nerds, businessmen, hipsters young and old: The near-capacity audience was a true smattering of personalities that transcended age and scene. More than a few attendees were even sporting the band’s iconic red-polo-black-tie Man-Machine-era look. And they were all there to witness Kraftwerk’s “3D Tour” — an illustrious audio-visual experience commemorating the group’s 50th anniversary (get tickets here). Upon entering the venue, everyone was handed a pair of white Kraftwerk-branded 3D glasses. On the stage stood the band’s four iconic keyboard pedestals, cutting...
Boston Calling 2022: Nine Inch Nails Deliver Blistering Headline Set in Place of Foo Fighters: Recap, Photos + Setlist
For the second time in a week, Nine Inch Nails played a festival headline slot that was initially intended for Foo Fighters. At both last weekend’s Welcome to Rockville and Friday’s Boston Calling kick off, Trent Reznor and co. served as last-minute replacements after the tragic loss of Foo drummer Taylor Hawkins. Festivals being forced to find fill-ins for canceled acts isn’t the rarest of things, but the circumstances around NIN adding these dates to their first tour in four years comes from uniquely sad circumstances. About an hour into their Boston Calling set, Reznor addressed the situation in a heartfelt statement from the stage. “We’re very happy to be here with you tonight and share this time with you,” he said. “And we’re very sorry for the conditions that led to us being here, wi...
Slipknot Crush Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for First NYC Show in 13 Years: Recap, Photos + Video
There’s a certain poignancy to Slipknot’s choice of pre-show piped-in track: AC/DC’s “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You).” That song was the emotional core of School of Rock for a reason. Amid the boredom and frustration and anxiety of daily life, it’s a sacred activity to transcend the B.S. with a healthy dose of heavy metal. And that’s exactly what thousands of dyed-hair suburban kids, up-for-anything parents and metal-loving weekend warriors did, packed into Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on the evening of May 20th. The mortar fire in the AC/DC tune gave way to actual pyrotechnics — to cheers. In an ironic twist, the track segued into country star Billie Jo Spears’ 1968 recording “Get Behind Me Satan and Push” — which locked onto the name “Satan” and seemed to melt. Devil’s...
Tears for Fears Debut Four New Songs Live at 2022 Tour Kickoff: Review, Photos and Setlist
Addressing the crowd on Friday (May 20th), the first night of their amphitheater tour with Garbage at Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center, Tears for Fears founding member Roland Orzabal pinpointed the band’s mood as “chuffed,” as in “deeply satisfied in a particularly British manner.” The band had brought out “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” three songs into their set, sounding just as pristine and cathartic now as it did when first recorded nearly 40 years ago. Conventional wisdom might be to save such an iconic hit for the latter half of the set or the encore. But Tears for Fears are not a mere legacy act capitalizing on Gen X-er nostalgia. You can identify the most popular songs by how many people start recording on their phones. But deeper cuts, like epic multi-parter “Bad Man’s Son...
